Floyd Schofield thinks his sparring partners are better than Lucas Bahdi, giving the unbeaten Canadian little credit ahead of their vacant WBA lightweight title fight Saturday in Chicago. It’s a dismissive assessment of the opponent who can spoil Floyd’s first chance to become a world champion.
Schofield insists there’s nothing personal behind it. Still, telling an unbeaten contender that he rates below the fighters brought into camp is a pointed insult, whether Floyd considers it trash talk or not.
“I hate trash talking, and I’m not really a trash talker, but I’ve been studying him nonstop, and there’s nothing that I see that he can bring to the table that I haven’t seen before,” Schofield told The Ring. “And that’s no offense Bahdi. He seems like a good fighter and a great dude, and it’s nothing personal, but I think my sparring partners are better than he is.”
That puts some pressure on Schofield to make Bahdi look ordinary. A win would get Floyd the belt, but a difficult night would make his assessment harder to defend. He’s talking as though the preparation in his gym is tougher than the fight awaiting him.
Bahdi has already shown how badly that kind of confidence can end for a favored prospect. Ashton Sylve was ahead before Lucas knocked him out in July 2024. Being outboxed did not prevent Bahdi from producing the punch that finished the fight.
Schofield acknowledges that danger, crediting Bahdi’s patience and power. Those concessions make his sparring-partner comparison sound excessive. An opponent who can remain dangerous while losing rounds deserves more respect than the rest of Floyd’s comments suggest.
There’s also a difference between looking at Bahdi on video and dealing with him when a world title is within reach. Schofield believes he has seen everything Lucas offers, but familiarity does not guarantee an easy night.
Floyd has given Bahdi something to answer in the ring. If Lucas makes him struggle, the sparring-partner line will be remembered long after the opening bell.